Centrifuge fluid container

ABSTRACT

A FLUID CONTAINER PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN A SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING BLOOD. THE CONTAINER IS GENERALLY ANNULAR OR TOROIDAL IN SHAPE, WITH A CENTRAL HUB PORTION WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH THE ANNULAR PORTION VIA A PLURALITY OF RADIAL CHANNELS, AND IS PREFERABLY FORMED FROM TWO CIRCULAR PIECES OF PLASTIC MATERIAL, SEALED AT THE PERIPHERY, AND IN A CENTRALLY-LOCATED SEGMENT TO PROVIDE THE DESIRED CONFIGURATION. A CENTRAL HUB PROVIDES ONE FLUID ENTRANCE AND EXIT. A PERIPHERALLY-LOCATED OUTPUT TUBE, APPROPRIATELY SEALED, IS LOCATED OPPOSITE A SLITTED FLAP, TO PROVIDE MEANS FOR SUSPENDING THE CONTAINER FROM A SUPPORT AND DRAINING THE CONTAINER BY GRAVITY THROUGH THE OUTLET TUBE. A SAMPLING TUBE MAY ALSO BE PROVIDED, CONNECTED TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE BAG.

July 24, 1973 A. L. JONES ETAL CENTRIFUGE FLUID CONTAINER Filed Jan. 28, 1972 FIG. 2

FIG. 3

United States Patent Oflice 3,748,101 Patented July 24, 1973 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fluid container particularly useful in a system for processing blood. The container is generally annular or toroidal in shape, with a central hub portion which communicates with the annular portion via a plurality of radial channels, and is preferably formed from two circular pieces of plastic material, sealed at the periphery, and in centrally-located segments to provide the desired configuration. A central hub provides one fluid entrance and exit. A peripherally-located output tube, appropriately sealed, is located opposite a slitted flap, to provide means for suspending the container from a support and draining the container by gravity through the outlet tube. A sampling tube may also be provided, connected to the periphery of the bag.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A copending patent application, Ser. No. 211,194 filed on Dec. 23, 1971 discloses and claims a blood processing system in which thawed frozen blood is washed to remove glycerol or other cryopreservative agents. This system requires a blood container which is circular in shape and has a centrally-located fluid inlet/outlet tube. The present invention provides an improved fluid container for use in the referenced blood processing system.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART Bag-like containers for holding blood or other fluids for processing are known in the art, including the provision of suitable inlet and outlet tubes, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. 3,545,671. However, none of the known prior art provides a fluid container having a configuration similar to that provided by this invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved fluid container.

A specific object of the invention is to provide an improved fluid container for processing thawed blood including a centrifuging step.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved blood container for centrifuging incorporating radial fluid channels to exclude the blood mixture from the low G force area near the center of rotation.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and described in connection therewith in the annexed specification.

Briefly described, the fluid container provided by this invention is an annular or toroidal-shaped container when filled with fluid. It is preferably formed by sealing two identical circular pieces of suitable flexible elastic material, such as medical-grade polyvinylchloride, at the periphery thereof to provide an enclosed volume. A plurality of sector-shaped areas, centrally located, are formed by sealing the two sides of the bag together. This provides a central or hub portion which communicates with the annular outer portion by a plurality of radial channels. A fluid inlet/outlet tube is located on the axis of the bag, to permit entrance and exit of fluid via the radial channels. (The radial channels confine the major volume of the blood to the outer portions of the bag, where higher G forces are available, and centrifuging time is accordingly reduced.)

A sealed outlet tube is provided at the periphery of the bag, and a hanger opening is provided diametrically opposite the outlet tube, so that the bag can be suspended from a suitable support and drained by gravity via tubing attached to the bag by way of the outlet tube.

A sampling tube may also be provided, having one end connected to the bag at the periphery thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a fluid container comprising a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, the fluid container is circular in general shape as manifest in FIGS. 1 and 3. Two circular pieces 3a and 3b of suitable dimensions, of material suited to the purpose, such as medical-grade polyvinylchloride, are sealed together at their periphery, as by application of suitable heat and pressure. In the central portion of the bag thus formed, a plurality of sectorshaped areas 5 of the two sides 3a and 3b are further sealed together to be liquid tight. It is apparent that this configuration will then provide a plurality of radial channels 7 extending outwardly from the center of the bag. There are also provided four holes or openings 9 punched or otherwise formed in the bag structure. These openings fit over bosses or projections in the centrifuge bowl and serve to anchor the bag during rotation.

Located on the central axis of the bag is a fluid inlet/ outlet hub 11. Insertion of a suitable tubing connector provided with a rotating seal, not shown, permits fluid to be supplied to or withdrawn from the bag during centrifuging.

To facilitate the administration of processed blood, an outlet tube 15 can be provided at the periphery of the bag. This tube can be of semi-rigid plastic material, entering the bag radially as shown, and appropriately sealed in place. An inner cap 17 and an outer cap 19 are shown. Inner cap 17 prevents exit of the bag contents during processing while cap 19 protects the sterility of the interior of the outlet tube. In use, the outer cap 19 would be removed, and the stabber or cannula of a suitable tubing set would be thrust into tube 15, the end of the cannula forcing off the cap 17 to permit outward flow of the bag contents.

Opposite the outlet tube 15, the rim of the bag 'is slit as shown at 21, to permit the bag to be suspended from a suitable support when draining through outlet tube 15.

A sampling tube 25 may also be provided, one end of which is attached to the periphery of the bag, and the other end of which is closed, as by heating sealing. In accordance with usual practice, a portion of the bag contents may be expressed into the coupling tube, and then the tube may be cut off and sealed near its connection to the bag, so that the contents of the sampling tube can be used for tests.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the present invention provides an improved fluid container, particularly suited for centrifuging of blood, which is economi i cal to manufacture, maximizes exposure to G force, thereby reducing time of centrifugation, and is adapted to dispense the contained blood or other fluid in conventional manner.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible collapsible blood processing container comprising,

an annular outer portion having a toroidal cross section when filled,

a central hub portion having an axially-aligned inlet/ outlet tube connection, a plurality of radial channels integrally formed and extending radially from said hub portion to said outer portion,

a plurality of sector-shaped spacer portions interspersed with said channels,

locator openings situated in said spacer portions, and

an outlet tube sealed in the periphery of said container.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which said container is fomed from two circular pieces of material, sealed together at the periphery thereof, and sealed together at selected sector-shaped central portions to form said central hub portion and said channels.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which inner and outer caps are provided on the inner and outer ends, respectively, of said outlet tube.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which a sampling tube is provided, having one end thereof sealed in theperiphery of said container and communicating with the interior of the container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS GEORGE H. KRIZMANICH, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 233-26 

